


yellow flowers

by demonicneonfishy



Series: the rainbow collection [2]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Returning to Malta (The Old Guard), absolutely nothing bad happens and i mean it this time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28734423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonicneonfishy/pseuds/demonicneonfishy
Summary: The garden is filled with yellow daisies, like a field of tiny suns.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: the rainbow collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2106570
Comments: 6
Kudos: 103





	yellow flowers

**Author's Note:**

> this is a series of standalone post-movie oneshots all centered around a different color! they can be read in any order, and you don't need to read one to read another. enjoy!

Moments like this, Joe thinks, are his favourite in all the years he’s been alive.

They’re sitting in the garden of their house in Malta, one they haven’t visited in at least a decade. As a result, the garden is filled with yellow daisies, like a field of tiny suns. The afternoon is lazy and warm, the slightest of breezes causing the daisies to sway gently back and forth. Nicky is half asleep, his head in Joe’s lap, Joe’s fingers moving idly through his hair. The sky is brilliant blue and cloudless. They’re safe. They’re home.

Joe decides, then and there, that they’re keeping the flowers.

He reaches over to pick one of them, removing his hand from Nicky’s hair in the process, and Nicky mumbles something unintelligible. Joe isn’t even sure what language it’s supposed to be in, but he smiles anyway. “So you are awake,” he teases lightly.

Nicky hums sleepily and rolls over, so he’s looking up at Joe, his eyes still half closed.

Joe’s glad. None of them have slept well since Merrick’s, but especially not Nicky. But he’s not letting himself think about that, because they are in Malta, and Merrick is dead, and they are safe.

Joe had been reluctant to leave Andy and Nile so soon, but Andy had looked him in the eye and threatened him with kidnapping if they didn’t take a break.

“You both need it,” she’d said. “We can handle ourselves.”

Eventually, he’d agreed, and he’s glad he did. Andy was right. They’d both needed this more than either of them realised. 

“We could go down to the beach later,” Joe suggests.

Nicky closes his eyes fully. “‘M comfy,” he mumbles.

“I didn’t mean any time soon.”

“Good. Don’t want to move.”

Joe twirls the daisy between his fingers before sliding it behind Nicky’s ear. The motion causes Nicky to open his eyes. He reaches up to touch the flower. “What was that for?”

“Because I love you.”

Nicky smiles softly. “I love you too.”

They sit there in silence for a little longer, Nicky still dozing, Joe occupying himself by twisting more daisies together to form a chain. He’d learned to do this years ago, taught by a group of children they’d helped while the others had been keeping watch and Joe had been on “babysitting duty”, as Andy called it. The kids had been terrified out of their minds, but one of the oldest, Lucy, had found a patch of daisies and started making daisy chains to help distract the younger kids. They’d all been shocked when Joe didn’t know what they were doing, and they’d taken it upon themselves to teach him. 

Andy had laughed when she found him with at least eight different daisy chains hanging from his neck. Booker had shaken his head with a smile. But they’d gotten the kids to safety, and kept them calm, and that’s what mattered.

Now, he finishes weaving the flowers into a circlet and holds it up to the sky, examining it.

“Nicoló,” Joe says. “Nicoló, destati.” Last time he said that, it had been in terror, in the desperate hope that Nicky was still with him. Now, there’s no threat for miles. 

Nicky’s eyes open slowly. “Hm?”

“I have something for you.” He’s hiding it behind his back, and Nicky notices.

“What is it?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Groaning, Nicky sits up. “What time is it?”

Joe looks up at the sun. “About three.”

Nicky shifts so he’s sitting crosslegged, facing Joe. “So what’s the surprise?”

“Close your eyes.”

Nicky rolls his eyes but closes them anyway, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “If you say so.”

“No peeking.”

“I won’t!”

“Good.” Joe reaches up and places the flower crown on Nicky’s head. It’s a little too big, and it droops a little, but it fits well enough. “Okay, open them.”

Nicky does, and immediately smiles, so brightly it’s almost blinding.  _ Moon when I’m lost in darkness. _ Joe meant every word.

“So?” Nicky asks.

Joe smiles back. “Perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> joe making nicky a flower crown is something that can actually be so personal  
> also, please google crown daisies. they grow wild on malta and they're wonderful i love them  
> -  
> i'm demonicneonfishy on tumblr too if you wanna come say hi!


End file.
